Staff photo by Fritz Busch New Ulm Business Resource Innovation Center CEO Paul Wessel talks to the New Ulm business community Tuesday at Black Forest Distilling.

NEW ULM — The New Ulm Business Resource Innovation Center introduced itself Tuesday to the New Ulm business community at a mixer event at Black Frost Distilling.

Formerly the New Ulm Economic Development Corporation, NUBRIC CEO Paul Wessel talked about some of New Ulm’s economic challenges and what the organization is doing to solve them.

Two of New Ulm’s startup investments — Black Forest Distilling and Sweet Haven Tonics — played a leading role in the event.

“NUBRIC has really been around for 70 years. It began in 1952 with New Ulm Industries,” Wessel said. “We’re standing on their shoulders. Back then, 39 New Ulm people used their own money to build spec buildings for 3M and Kraft here.”

“We can’t forget what they did, but our top five manufacturers here have 140 jobs open,” added Wessel. “How will be fill the jobs? We’ll create infrastructure for business and industry to grow and prosper. We’ll help train people for future jobs that will include high levels of automation.”

NUBRIC is a dynamic, private nonprofit that fuels startups and existing businesses with innovative business strategies, proven leadership, and access to a trusted global network of financial and operational resources.

The organization exists to reignite a spirit of entrepreneurship, innovation and business growth in New Ulm while readying the workforce and community for jobs of the future.

Project Spark, a pending tax-exempt nonprofit NUBRIC branch, provides startup sapce and needed resources for early-stage businesses. It also provides in-depth monitoring and guidance for companies during their critical early stages.

In partnership with Gopher Angels, NUBRIC began its own angel investment fund to not only assist and grow startup companies in New Ulm and the surrounding area, but also to attract other startups to make New Ulm their operations base.

Project Lead The Way is a state-of-the-art, nationally recognized STEM curriculum where students develop in-demand, transportable skills like problem solving, critical and creative thinking, collaboration, and communication — they they will use in school and for the rest of their lives, on any career path.

Partners of NUBRIC include the New Ulm Economic Development Authority, New Ulm Chamber of Commerce, Region 9 Economic Development, USDA and U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

(Fritz Busch can be emailed at fbusch@nujournal.com.)